Paul Attardi, a veteran maitre’d who shepherded Old Major through a challenging stretch of staff turnovers, is leaving the popular restaurant at month’s end.

Attardi, who rose to prominence on the Denver hospitality scene during his stint as maitre’d and co-proprietor of Fruition, stepped in last May after Old Major fired manager and sommelier Jonathan Greschler, a move that began the staff churn at the popular LoHi spot.

“During the past year, Paul has helped us create an amazing level of service and experience for our customers,” Justin Brunson, executive chef and co-owner of Old Major, said in an email. “Paul brought years of hospitality experience and wonderful relationships to our Old Major family. He has been touted as one of the mainstays of hospitality in Denver and we were blessed to have him with us.”

Attardi could not be reached for comment, but the announcement said he was “going to enjoy the summer and spend time with his family.”

In a Denver Post story that ran in September 2009, Attardi — a 35-year restaurant veteran — talked about his role as a maitre’d.

“I think the No. 1 skill you need is to really, really like people,” he said. “If you don’t like people, you won’t be good at the job.”

A debonair presence who understood the need to please customers, Attardi often went beyond the call of duty.

During an earlier stint at Mizuna, he recalled a regular who always asked for a to-go ice-cream order for her husband. Getting the dessert home and intact was a tricky task. But Attardi rigged a plastic bucket with ice and figured out a way to box and pack the ice cream. The result: a happy customer.